Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Lake Erie beats Windy City, 8-7

Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220614_okcv.xml

Crestwood, Ill. – The Lake Erie Crushers (12-16) looked to build off their momentous comeback win from Sunday afternoon ahead of a nine game roadstand. On Tuesday night, the Crushers faced off against the Windy City Thunderbolts (13-14). 

In a game that lasted 4 hours and 50 minutes, 23 total walks, and 21 stolen bases. The Crushers outlasted Windy City in 10 innings to win 8-7.

Lake Erie was down early after two first inning runs from the Thunderbolts. The Crushers scored two runs in the next two innings. In the second inning, Bryant Flete stole home. In the third inning, Kenen Irizarry singled to left field, scoring Austin White, 2-2.

Windy City answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the third. Pierce Jones stole home on a dropped third strike, he’d go on to total five stolen bases throughout the game, 3-2. 

The back and forth affair continued as the Crushers scored two runs in the fourth inning. Chris Owings stole home from the throw to second base from the catcher, 3-3. Later, a sac-fly from Devon Fisher scored Sean Cheely, 4-3. 

The Thunderbolts answered with their own runs again in the fourth inning. A bases loaded walk for Pierce Jones, 4-4 and a sac-fly to center field from Dan Robinson scored Manny Garcia, 5-4. 

Chris Owings continued his hot performance from the past week with a tying RBI double to right field in the fifth inning, 5-5. In the eighth inning, Kenen Irizarry worked a bases loaded walk, his second RBI of the game, 6-5. 

Windy City drew 16 walks, but no bigger than the two in the bottom of the eighth. The Thunderbolts drew two bases-loaded walks from the at-bats of Jace Mercer and Peyton Isaacson, 7-6.

With nobody on the bases, two outs, and one strike remaining in the top of the ninth. Chris Owings provided the biggest hit of his season with a tying solo home run to right field, his third hit, second RBI, falling a triple short of the cycle, 7-7. 

Going into extra innings the Crushers played small ball, a bunt by Gavin Johns advanced Ronnie Allen to third. Austin White grounded out to second but Allen scored giving the Crushers a 8-7 lead in extra innings. 

Alexis Rivero, who recorded the save in Sunday’s win, came out in the bottom of the tenth to do it once more. With the tying run 90 feet away and go-ahead run 180 feet away, Rivero recorded the final out giving the Crushers a 8-7 victory in a wild affair between the two teams. 

For the Crushers, tonight’s game featured three new players to the lineup, Devon Fisher, Austin White, and Gavin Johns. The three combined went 3-10 and 2 RBI’s. Tonight also featured the return of Jack Harris to the lineup after missing the past weeks. Harris recorded a hit and run scored. 

The Crushers return to the field Wednesday, June 15th against the Windy City Thunderbolts at Ozinga Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. The probable pitchers for Lake Erie are Matt Mulhearn and for Windy City, Kenny Matthews.